The Hay Disaster Benefit from Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation has been triggered and associated payments will begin shortly. 

The estimated payout for 2018 is $3.2 million on approximately 1,000 claims.  

The Hay Disaster Benefit is a complimentary feature of the AgriInsurance program that compensates insured forage producers for the increased cost of hay and transportation when there is a severe provincial forage shortfall. 

There is no cost to producers for this benefit.  Premiums are cost shared 60 per cent by the Government of Canada and 40 per cent by the Province of Manitoba.

Producers enrolled in Select Hay Insurance and Basic Hay Insurance are automatically enrolled in HDB.  All insured hay types (alfalfa, alfalfa grass mixtures, grasses, sweet clover and coarse hay) are eligible.

To trigger a HDB payment, at least 20 per cent of producers with Select Hay or Basic Hay Insurance must harvest less than 50 per cent of their long-term average hay yield.  For 2018, producers will receive an additional $40 for each tonne below their Select Hay or Basic Hay Insurance coverage.

For more information on forage insurance in Manitoba, please contact a MASC office or visit: www.masc.mb.ca/masc.nsf/program_forages.html.  The deadline to sign-up for 2019 forage insurance is April 1.